HELP

[WillB09]

I just had the most incredible experience.  Not incredible in a good way, incredible in a terrible way.   AT&T has finally gotten so big that they no longer have the ability to even answer their phone and take care of a simple customer issue. What should have taken them maybe 5 minutes in total time and attention cost them the contact of at least 7 people, and an hour of just initial contact time. And after the first 7 people and an hour, they haven’t actually even done anything yet.

If this is how they run all of their business, their costs and processes are completely out of control and off the rails, and they cannot possibly be successful for much longer.  If I owned stock in AT&T right now I sell it today.  If I had a job at AT&T, I’d update my resume and start looking for a new job tomorrow.

So here is the story…thus far

10/18/11 – I am moving out of my house and close my AT&T Cable and Internet account and return all the Cable TV tuners.  They tell me I will receive a final statement.

Mid November 2011, I get my final statement and it says they owe me a refund of 86.17.  I called them to find out when I would receive the refund, and they said it usually takes a little while, but not to worry, I would receive it.

Time passes, nothing happens.  No additional statements, no phone calls from AT&T, no refund check.

2-21-12 (4 full months since I closed the account and returned the equipment), I am home sick and decide to get on the phone with them to see where my refund is. 

I call the number on the statement that it says to call if I have any questions about the refund (800-288-2020).  It takes a bit (like 10+ minutes) to finally work my way through a myriad of automated attendant voice prompts and holing, to talk to a real person. 

They immediately tell my they must transfer me to u-verse customer service and I hold some more.  Eventually a person talks to me and says they have to transfer me to another department and says the direct number for that department is 877-258-1427.  I hold some more. 

A person finally talks to me and immediately transfers me again.  Holding more.

This nice enough gentleman says I’ve been sent to the wrong department and that he will transfer me back to the people that can help me and says that there direct number is 800-288-2020.  Sound familiar?  On this now fourth person I have talked to, he is transferring me back to the original number I called in the first place, the one the billing statement told me to call if I had any questions about my refund!

I get there and hold some more and talk to person # five who immediately says they need to transfer me to someone in u-verse. (Strange the u-verse bill that says to call u-verse for help at this number, and the people at that number say they need to transfer me to u-verse?).  Transferred…

Holding some more…ah finally, person # 6, who IS u-verse according to person # five who transferred me.  Any guesses what happens next?  You guest it, they tell me they must transfer me to u-verse billing.

Holding some more…..Now I am talking to person # 7, yes number 7!  I’ve now been in the u-verse customer service department and the u-verse billing department twice each, at least according to how four of the 7 people I talked to answered their phone.

Mind you, each and every time on the previous 6 conversations, I given each person all my account info including acct number, address, account pass code, and a full description of the history and issue for which I am calling (the elusive refund AT&T owes me).

Person # 7.  56 minutes on the phone trying to get help, and here is what the lady tells me.  Well I have to send an email to the “Back Office”.  You can’t call them or anything; they can only be reached by email.  I will ask them to look into the refund check that should have been sent.  Once they have investigated what happened then they will get back to you in three or four days and tell you what is going on and what we do next.

REALLY? 

How much more inept or broken could a process and a company be?  7 people already, 56 minutes already, and not even a start on the solution.  Just to investigate what happened will take even more people and 3 or 4 days.  No actual solution yet.  Just an investigation!  I’m pretty sure the above has already cost AT&T way more than the $86.17 they owe me.  And I’m confident they are going to spend a whole lot more.  Wonder how much it will actually cost them by the time they eventually send me my refund?

Like I said at the out set…the wheels have fallen off, the train is off the rails, and the abyss it is careening toward is not far away.

Now, one simple question:  could some one please just give me the 86 dollars and 17 cents, you said you owe me?  

[texasguy37 ACE - Champion]

Send a PM to Julie who is an AT&T Community Specialist here on the forum.

[WillB09]

thx.  I'll try it.  You think it will acutally work?

[texasguy37 ACE - Champion]

Yes

[guppy44]

I know your situation isnt funny but the way you wrote it was. This is text book AT&T. They will do this to you until you finally give up and say to heck with it. They do not want to cough up any of their dough any more then you want your arms and legs cut off. In fact you would probably have better luck buying a remote island in an auction for 5 cents.

I wish you lots of luck your gonna need it.

Here is a helpful hint for you.........

Next time you need to call AT&T for any help plan in advance and take some paid vacation time cuz your gonna need it, oh oh and have a few charged batteries for your phone waiting just in case, they tend to die while your holding, and never call close to closing time because they will place you on hold until they close and when you realize it, its too late and you will get the privilage of doing it all over again the next day.

[WillB09]

so, you must be an employee of uverse?

how about just one simple improvement...give us a uverse option on the very first atomated attendant level when you call the 800-288-2020 number, or actually print a direct number for uverse on the uverse bill.  I have yet to find an actuall menu choice that offers me uverse.  Person number four in my experince today, who transferred me back to the 800 number, insisted that the menu gave me uverse as opton 6. Call the number and tell me how many options you are given!  I explained to him that I have called the number dozen of times and never heaerd more than 2 options, he said I was wrong.  call the number and tell me how many you hear, I hear 1 and 2, thats it, and by pressing either one, you still don't get to a menu choice for unverse.  So maddening.  such a simple solution would reduce the stress of every single uverse customer calling that 800 # but not one person in uverse with a brain has apparently actually every called their own phone number to see what customers experience.  Sorry, don't mean to be so costic, i know it's not your fault, but it has just finally rubbed my very last nerve raw....

[texasguy37 ACE - Champion]

---

WillB09 wrote:

so, you must be an employee of uverse? 

---

Who are you addressing that question to?

[WillB09]

to you texas guy, you have a banner add for aT&T in your name block and you are from texas, their world headquarters, so I was guessing you might be an employee?

[texasguy37 ACE - Champion]

No, I am not an AT&T employee.  This is the U-verse customer forum.  I am a U-verse customer just as you are.  I have had U-verse TV, internet and phone service for about 3 years.

[WillB09]

ah, sorry for ranting at you then  the banner add fooled my I guess.